Nearly 500 classes have been cancelled at Central New Mexico Community College due to a lack of students signing up, school officials said.

Nearly 500 classes have been cancelled at Central New Mexico Community College due to a lack of students signing up, school officials said.

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Updated: 5:30 PM MST Feb 5, 2015

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WEBVTT HUNDREDS OF CLASSES CANCELED AT THE STATE'S LARGEST COMMUNITY COLLEGE. IT'S SOMETHING THAT CAUSED PROBLEMS FOR HUNDREDS OF LOCAL STUDENTS. ACTION 7 NEWS REPORTER AARON HILF JOINS US LIVE AT CENTRAL NEW MEXICO COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN ALBUQUERQUE WITH MORE. AARON? THAT'S RIGHT -- IT CAUSED A LOT OF PROBLEMS FOR STUDENTS TRYING TO KEEP A FULL CLASS LOAD THIS SEMESTER. OFFICIALS AT C-N-M SAYING THEY WERE FORCED TO CANCEL NEARLY 500 CLASSES BECAUSE THEY JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STUDENTS SIGNING UP. STUDENTS ARE BACK IN CLASS AT CENTRAL NEW MEXICO COMMUNITY COLLEGE. THE SEMESTER BEGAN JUST OVER 2 WEEKS AGO -- BUT FOR SOME OF THESE STUDENTS, THEY GOT BIT OF A SURPRISE JUST BEFORE WALKING BACK ONTO CAMPUS. "My friend told me that it was canceled. I was all, 'no way.' She said yeah, check your email. I checked it." AMANDA TORRES IS IN HER SECOND SEMESTER. ONE OF HER CLASSES WAS CANCELLED. "It was Music, Early Appreciation 1139. It was a course I needed." ACCORDING TO C-N-M... 490 COURSES WERE ELIMINATED THIS SPRING SEMESTER. THAT'S 13-PERCENT OF THE COLLEGE'S TOTAL PLANNED COURSES -- A SMALL BUMP UP FROM LAST YEAR'S 9 PERCENT OF CLASSES CANCELED. C-N-M OFFICIALS WEREN'T AVAILABLE TO TALK ON CAMERA, BUT SAY THE CLASSES WERE CUT DUE TO LOW ENROLLMENT. THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS AT C-N-M DOWN BY ABOUT 400 COMPARED TO THIS TIME LAST YEAR. FOR STUDENTS LIKE AMANDA -- THE SUDDEN CANCELLATIONS CAN DO REAL DAMAGE TO THEIR FINANCIAL AID -- SINCE THEY NEED A CERTAIN NUMBER OF CLASSES TO BE ELIGIBLE. "You need 12 credit hours. So yeah, it's a big deal. I will need that money, that extra money because college is expensive." LUCKILY, SHE SAYS SHE WAS ABLE TO FIND AN OPEN CLASS. BUT IT HASN'T STARTED YET, SO SHE'S A LITTLE WORRIED THE SAME THING COULD HAPPEN. "Hope for the best, right? Just hope more people go to school I guess. I don't know." C-N-M'S VICE PRESIDENT OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS ISSUED A STATEMENT TODAY. IT READ IN PART, "IT'S ALWAYS DIFFICULT MAKING THE DECISION TO CANCEL A COURSE SECTION... WE'RE OBLIGATED THROUGH OUR BUDGET RESPONSIBILITIES TO BE EFFICIENT IN OUR COURSE SCHEDULING." AT CNM AARON HILF KOAT ACTION 7 NEWS. OFFICIALS SAY, THEY DO TRY AND HELP STUDENTS RESCHEDULE WHEN A CLASS IS CUT; BUT THAT CANCELLING COURSES IS JUST PART OF RUNNING A COLLEGE.

CNM cuts nearly 500 courses

Nearly 500 classes have been cancelled at Central New Mexico Community College due to a lack of students signing up, school officials said.